Magnetic lot selecting device



March 19, 1957 P. D. SELIG MAGNETIC LOT SELECTING DEVICE Filed June 10, 1953 United States Patent MAGNETIC DOT SELECTING DEVICE Pearl D. Selig, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,787

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-144) This invention relates to lot selecting devices for games such as bingo, or the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a lot selecting device which is substantially tamperproof, easy to use and economical to manufacture.

A more specific object of this invention is toprovide a lot selecting device in the form of a cylindrical or barrel-like container having a hinged cover, and with magnetic means in the cover adapted to attract and hold an indicia-bearing token, the device being so constructed that but one such token is attracted at a time.

A still more specific object of this invention is to provide a hinged cover for a lot selecting device wherein a small magnet is embedded in the cover in a manner to expose one side thereof to the contents of the container. The token, in the form of a disc having magnetic material either coated thereon or contained therein, is adapted to be attracted by the magnet, the cover being so shaped that tokens can be readily removed from the cover.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a lot selecting device made in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lot selecting device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partially in section, the section being taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 of the lot selecting device of Fig. 1 and showing the cover partially opened;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the cover of the device of Fig. 3, the view being taken substantially along line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a token of the type adapted to be used with the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the token of Fig. 5 taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a modified token.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, the lot selecting device may take the form of a container 10 made of wood, plastic, diecast metal, or any other suitable relatively rigid material. Such container 10 may have the simulated barrel shape shown in Fig. l, or it may have any other shape which may be specially suited either to the user or to the game in connection with which it is to be used. Such container, however, is preferably made small enough so that it may be held and shaken by the hand of the user. The bottom 11 of the container 10 is preferably closed and the opposite end is open as at 12. Said open end 12 is adapted to be closed by a cover 13 having a tongue 14 disposed longitudinally of the axis of the container 10 and located between a pair of spaced supports 15, 16 (Fig. 4) disposed on the outside of container 10 near the open end 12 thereof.

A hinge pin 17 passes through tongue 14 and supports 15, 16 to provide a hinged connection between cover 13 and container 10. A spring 18 of the torsion type is compressed between the side of container 10 and the bottom 19 of a handle 20 extending to one side of cover 13, and normally tends to hold said cover 13 in its closed position as shown in Fig. 1. It is understood that other forms of spring such as the leaf type may be used in place of spring 18 without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Handle 20 may be formed integrally with cover 30 and is preferably so shaped as to have its greatest area at its free end 21. Said handle 20 is adapted to be depressed by the thumb of the user to open the container. It is understood, however, that the shape of the handle 20 may be varied to suit special conditions or taste.

In the form chosen for illustration, cover 13 has a relatively thick central portion 22 in which is embedded a magnet 23 having a substantially square cross section as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Said magnet 23 is disposed in cover 13 in such manner as to have one face 24 thereof substantially flush with the inner face 25 of the relatively thick central portion 22. This disposition of magnet 23 enables it to exert the greatest influence upon the contents of the container 10.

The manner in which magnet 23 is retained in cover 13 may vary, depending upon the material of which the cover is made. If the material is wood, then magnet 23 is merely glued into a suitable opening formed in the wood. It the material is plastic or metal, then magnet 23 may be molded directly into the cover when the cover is formed. Where the cover is made of wood, a circular cross section is desirable for magnet 23 since such cross section then requires merely a drilled recess in the wood which is more readily formed than a square recess.

Immediately adjacent relatively thick portion 22 is an annular depression 26. The tokens to be selected by the device are of a diameter or width which is greater than the diameter of the central portion 22, such that when a token is attracted by magent 23, it will substantially overlap the edges of portion 22 and extend over the recess 26. This design simplifies removal of a token from the cover after it has been selected by permitting the user to grasp the token from behind and pull the token off the cover.

The tokens are shown resting at the bottom of the container in Fig. 3. Such tokens, as illustrated in Fig. 5, may take the form of discs 27 having embedded therein a small piece 28 of magnetic material to render the tokens susceptible of attraction by magnet 23 in cover 13. The outside surfaces of the token may be covered with paper, Celluloid or other material on which appears the printed information used in the game of which the container 10 is an adjunct. The information may be numbers, letters, pictures, symbols, etc.

One such token 27 is shown attracted to magnet 23 in Fig. 3. It will be seen that the token is larger in diameter than raised portion 22 so that it overhangs as it were the said portion 22 as aforesaid.

An alternative form of token is shown in Fig. 7. In this form, the central magnetic material is omitted and a coating 29 of finely divided magnetic material in a paint vehicle is substituted. Such token may be simpler to make, and in view of the lightness of the token the magnetic coating is sufficient for the purposes intended.

When the container 10 is shaken, cover 13 being at such times closed by spring 18, the tokens are agitated and pass in proximity to magnet 23. The first to contact said magnet will be held thereby and the remainder of the tokens will fall back into the bottom of the container. Cover 13 is then opened by depressing handle 20 with the thumb of the operators hand pressing on wide portion 21, and the token 27' is removed with the thumb and forefinger 'of'the operators otherhan'd'.

Obviously, the device of this invention may be used for many games, some ofvvhich may call, for the simultaneous selection of'two or more tokens. This can readily be done; by increasing the number ofn rag nets 23 inthe cover to 'two or more. i

It is understood that the'foregoing description'is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention audthat the scope of the invent-ion is not to be limitedthereto, but is to be 'deterrninedby, the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for shaking a group .of indicia-bearing tokens and selecting one from such group .offtokens,

said device comprising a non-magnetic container in which p u l t o pd 'a-b a in q en is ec v d, a, movl co r h cqn aii nd a ma ne e bedd d n the cover, each token being substantially flat and having a nt l-mm Q ma ne iz bl ma etia u rqun ed n h P an he ake by an eput ab e o er Q non.- m net c ma r al, h hat he keu'h ng i s r e w hin he spr cre uen e f. he ma ne in he cove l be a r ct dtm ansiheld nsaidmagnet; hem gnet n he c e i r es e en i han. h rgrea est d m n:

sion of the token, whereby a token held by the magnet willprevent other tokens-*fromapproaching closely enough References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 468,274 Goodson Feb. 2, 1892 1,842,881 liluzcell- Ian. 26, 1932 2,199,818 Franke May -'7, 1 940 2,203,886 Zamora lune 11, L940 2,230;74 3 ,Davis Feb. 4, 1941 2,474,365 Munn June 28, 1949 "2,657,059 Selig- 'Qetn27; 1-953 

